What's Inside...
Assemblyman Solorio Co-Authors Career Technical Education Legislation
Good Deeds and Accomplishments Should Not Go Unnoticed
District Office:
2400 E. Katella Avenue, Suite 640
Anaheim, CA 92806
Tel: (714) 939-8469
Fax: (714) 939-8986
Capitol Office:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0069
Tel: (916) 319-2069
Fax: (916) 319-2169
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| Assemblyman Solorio helps Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger roll out his new statewide anti-gang initiative, called the California Gang Reduction, Intervention, and Prevention Program (CalGRIP), at a press conference in Oakland. |
As the Chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, I continue to work with Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to fight gang violence in California.
I have been a lead advocate of Assembly Speaker Núñez's bill, AB 1381, which would establish the Office of Statewide Violence and Gang Prevention (OSVGP). The OSVGP would help coordinate the anti-gang efforts of federal, state, and local governments and law enforcement agencies and serve as a clearing house that can provide them with information on programs and resources of which they may be unaware.
I have also lobbied Legislative leaders and the Governor to provide $9.5 million in much needed gang prevention and intervention funding to curb gang violence in Orange County and elsewhere in the state.
The $9.5 million in funding would provide for grants to cities and community-based organizations for gang prevention, intervention, re-entry, education, job training and skills development, and family and community services.
I also helped the Governor roll out his new statewide anti-gang initiative, called the California Gang Reduction, Intervention, and Prevention Program (CalGRIP). The program would target more than $48 million in state and federal funding toward local anti-gang efforts including job training, education, and intervention programs, and will give law enforcement the tools they need to closely track gang leaders both inside state prisons and when they are released on parole. For more info visit: http://gov.ca.gov/issue/anti-gangs. Although most of the CalGRIP elements are not included in the current budget proposal the Legislature is supporting, the ideas could be considered through future legislation or budget proposals.
I was also proud to do my part in Sacramento to help secure nearly $200,000 in State Habitat Conservation grant funds for the City of Santa Ana to assist with its effort to improve three important environmental city park projects: the Centennial Park Waterfowl Sanctuary project, Cienega de las Ranas Habitat Restoration project, and the McFadden Triangle Habitat Restoration project. The City of Santa Ana's Fairview Triangle Habitat Restoration project was also recommended for a $132,000 grant from the federal Recreational Trails Program.
My staff and I will also be volunteering at four citizenship fairs in July to help legal permanent residents achieve their dream of becoming U.S. citizens before the federal government increases the citizenship fee from $400 to $675 beginning July 30th. For more information click here.
I always welcome any input you may have on how I can better serve the community. Please do not hesitate to contact me at Assemblymember.Solorio@assembly.ca.gov if I can ever assist you with any state matters.
Sincerely,
Jose Solorio
State Assemblyman
Senate Approves AB 369 (Solorio) To Protect Foster Youth: The Senate approved this bill to better protect foster care children from abuse by allowing the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs to more thoroughly screen the background of potential staff and volunteers who supervise foster care children.
CASA programs already allow access to applicants' FBI and Department of Justice records when screening potential staff and volunteers, but California law does not currently allow CASA programs to take the additional precaution of checking the Child Abuse Central Index (CACI) for allegations of abuse and neglect.
This bill would allow such access and bring California in line with most other states which have allowed access to such information. AB 369 has been sent to the Assembly for concurrence.
Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment Approves Assembly Joint Resolution (AJR) 27 To Urge U.S. Postal Service To Discontinue the Practice of Contracting Out Mail Delivery Services: The U.S. Postal Services recent practice of contracting out mail delivery services threatens not only both the jobs and incomes of America's 325,000 city and rural letter carriers, but also the long-term viability of the Postal Service.
By contracting out letter carrier positions, the U.S. Postal Service bypasses a hiring process that ensures that only qualified people handle America's mail. The contracting out of mail delivery services also limits the ability of the U.S. Postal Service to prevent, investigate, and prosecute mail theft, mail fraud, and other illegal issues of mail.Assemblyman Solorio Urges Governor, Legislative Leaders To Protect Funding For English Classes For Adults And Other Key Programs
Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) has called upon Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Legislative leaders to fully fund the $50 million Community Based English Tutoring Program (CBET) that provides more than 195,000 adults with limited English proficiency the language and tutoring skills needed to help their children through school.
The CBET program provides $4.5 million in annual funding to 27 Orange County-based education agencies for CBET-funded English tutoring classes all over Orange County.
"Teaching English is one of my highest priorities in the State Assembly. I encourage the Governor to honor his original commitment to fully fund CBET because this program is essential to providing parents with enough English proficiency skills to help their children with homework assignments, talk with teachers, and take part in school-related activities," said Assemblyman Solorio.
In his May budget revision, the Governor proposed $50 million in funding for the CBET program, but there have been concerns that he could back away from that commitment in light of the Senate Budget Committee's initial suggestion to provide only $15.1 million in funding for the program, a recommendation which, if taken, would lead to a $3.1 million funding loss for Orange County-based education agencies.
In response to lobbying by Assemblyman Solorio and other lawmakers, the Senate backed off its suggestion to cut the CBET program and agreed to provide for full funding of the CBET program in the combined Assembly and Senate budget proposal that is currently being negotiated with Governor Schwarzenegger and his administration.
Assemblyman Solorio has also asked the Governor and Legislative leaders to provide funding for the following budget items:
$9.5 million in much needed gang prevention and intervention funding to curb gang violence in Orange County and elsewhere in the state. The funding would provide for a state anti-gang coordinator and provide grants to cities and community-based organizations for gang prevention, intervention, re-entry, education, job training and skills development, and family and community services.$1.3 million to fund AB 1177 (Solorio), a bill which sets up a pilot project to test new textbooks that help English learners (EL) master English. Assemblyman Solorio successfully received $300,000 in federal funds earmarked in the Conference Committee Budget report to study the success of the pilot program. The funding, however, still requires the approval of the Legislature and Governor.
$1 million in funding for an evaluation of the English Learner Best Practices Program to identify "best practices" of schools where EL students are achieving successful outcomes.
Assemblyman Solorio Co-Authors Five Career Technical Education Bills To Provide for a Better Educated and Highly Skilled Workforce
Assemblyman Solorio is a co-author of five significant Career Technical Education bills pending in the State Legislature, bills which seek to provide for a better educated and more highly skilled workforce.
"I believe that the state needs to do more to promote Career Technical Education because this type of training can provide for a much more productive workforce, which will lead to a stronger economy," said Assemblyman Solorio.
Assemblyman Solorio is co-authoring the following bills:
AB 597 (Assembly Education Committee): Requires the California Department of Education to develop a website that would provide technical education information for students. Status: Pending in Senate.
AB 598 (Assembly Education Committee): Authorizes additional classes for career technical education instruction in high schools. Status: Pending in Senate.
SB 672 (Torlakson): Requires students, beginning with the 2013-14 school year, to complete two career technical education courses to receive a high school diploma. Status: Pending in Assembly.
AB 1414 (Hancock): Establishes the Career Technical Education Revitalization (CTER) program, administered by the State Department of Education, to support the creation and maintenance of quality CTE programs in middle schools and foundational programs in grades 9-10. The program would receive $250 million in annual funding. Status: Pending in Assembly.
AB 973 (Fuller): Requires state agencies, commissions, boards, and bureaus to waive certificate, license and examination fees for applicants who are public high school students or who have graduated from a public high school within a year and have fulfilled requirements for the license or certificate by completing a course offered by a Regional Occupational Center or Program. Status: Pending in Senate.
Good Deeds And Accomplishments Should Not Go Unnoticed
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| Parliament Member Jim Watson |
Congratulations to the Anaheim Ducks for winning the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, thus capturing the first Stanley Cup Championship in California's history. The Ducks secured the NHL title with a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators, ending the series in only five games.With the Ducks' win, Assemblyman Solorio also won his wager against Ottawa Provincial Parliament Member Jim Watson and received a Canadian Toque, some Jim Watson mugs, and other Canadian trinkets. (Parliament Member Watson has yet to send the promised platter of Beaver Tails, a Canadian pastry dish.)
Congratulations to the twelve Santa Ana Civic Leadership Initiative (SACLI) students who participated in the program's graduation ceremony on June 28, 2007 in Santa Ana. The SACLI program, headed by Santa Ana College, celebrated its ten year anniversary and recognized twelve outstanding members of the community who had committed to the yearlong program, consisting of monthly leadership seminars. The SACLI program is designed to develop community-based leadership and strengthen the existing community by building robust, diverse leaders and equipping and empowering future community leaders to play a greater role in decision-making in their communities.
Special thanks to the program's staff: Lilia Tanakeyowma, Susana Sosa, and Teresa Mercado-Cota, and congratulations to this year's twelve SACLI graduates: Janell Abarca, Jose Alfaro, Fred Bella, Alberto Gamboa, Silvia Hernandez-Rojas, Francisco Islas, Jose R. Jauregui, Perla Lopez, Berenis Quinones, Martha Veronica Ramirez, Juana Torres, and Martha Villasenor-Downs.
Special thanks to the Delhi Community Center in Santa Ana for offering a wide array of summer programs for children: Soccer, Dance Folk, Self Defense, Cheer, Dance Classic Ballet, Hand Ball, Healthy Living, Mariachi, Art and Literature, and Girl Scouts. For more information, please contact: Yvette Gutierrez from the Delhi Center - (714) 481-9616 / (714) 481-9600 or visit http://www.delhicenter.com/.
Congratulations to the high school graduating Class of 2007! Assemblyman Solorio is proud of the students of the Sixty-Ninth Assembly District for their accomplishments and all the hard work they have put in.
- Santa Ana Unified School District
- Century High School - 269 Graduates
Valedictorian: Salma Bahadarakhan, Salutatorian: Nada Soeun - Cesar Chavez High School - 85 Graduates
Valedictorian: Ana Karen Flores, Salutatorian: Juan Carlos Jimenez - Lorin Griset Academy - 109 Graduates
Valedictorian: Vanessa Rios, Salutatorian: Janet Campos - Middle College High School - 60 Graduates
Valedictorian: Sandy Fonseca, Salutatorian: Adrian Reyes - Saddleback High School - 485 Graduates
Valedictorians: Ingrid Veledon and Dennis Duong, Salutatorians: Allison Truong and Pablo Isais
- Santa Ana High School - 567 Graduates
Valedictorian: Norma Dominguez, Salutatorian: Jennifer Vargas - Valley West High School - 367 Graduates
Valedictorian: Francisco Cabrera, Salutatorian: Susan Huynh
- Century High School - 269 Graduates
- Garden Grove Unified School District
- Los Amigos High School - 339 Graduates
Valedictorian: Tamara Ly, Salutatorian: Emily Nguyen - Santiago High School - 352 Graduates
Valedictorian: Betty Huynh, Salutatorian: Christine Nguyen
- Los Amigos High School - 339 Graduates
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| Assemblyman Solorio greets onlookers at the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival. |
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| State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell |
State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell Gives Tips on How to Keep Children Engaged in Productive Activities Over the Summer Vacation
1. Encourage Reading. Help establish a love of reading at an early age. Reading helps improve writing and communication skills as well as improve learning throughout the summer. Take your children to the public library, where they can obtain their own library cards, learn how to find books, and check them out free of charge. Many public libraries offer free summer reading programs as well. Ask your local librarian about the schedule of events at your library and the resources available to you and your children.2. Participate in Summer Community Programs. Many local education agencies, non-profit organizations, governments, and businesses offer interesting summer events, such as music, singing, cooking, sports, cheerleading, forensics, engineering, and robotics summer camps.
3. Get Active. Contact your local city or county offices to find out what free or low-cost summer programs are available for your children. Often, local parks and recreation departments offer programs throughout the summer that provide both recreation and education opportunities, like youth sports leagues, swimming, baseball, basketball, soccer, dance, drama, the arts, concerts, and other youth programs.
4. Volunteer for a Good Cause. Local zoos, animal shelters, and senior community centers often need volunteer help. For example, teenagers can explore animal-related careers while gaining work experience, and help teach children and families about animals, the environment, and conservation.
5. Helping Out at Home. Teaching children early and often about doing chores around the house helps them learn important skills like cooperation, teamwork, fairness, patience, responsibility, and values. It also helps free up some time so you can just enjoy being with your children.
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| Assemblyman Solorio and young soccer players celebrate the opening of the Santa Ana Stadium's new synthetic turf that will allow the city's residents to use the 10,000-seat stadium year round, instead of the eight months a year it was open with the natural grass turf. As a Santa Ana Councilman, Solorio successfully lobbied for funding to make this project a reality. | Assemblyman Solorio, his wife Linn, and Senator Lou Correa showed up to the casting call for the filming of the recently released Pirates of the Caribbean movie. This is a behind the scenes photo of the pair after both had done formal readings for pirate parts. Apparently, it was not a good fit because neither was chosen to appear in the movie. (However, they were invited to the World Premiere at Disneyland of "Pirates of the Caribbean 3: The World's End.") |
Mini-Biography of Assemblyman Jose Solorio
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Prior to joining the Assembly, Solorio served on the Santa Ana City Council and worked for the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). Solorio has an inspirational personal story to tell. He is the son and grandson of farm workers and grew up working in the fields and orchards of the Central Valley. His parents are humble people who taught him simple lessons: "Study hard. Work hard. Treat everyone equally. Take care of your family." Assemblyman Solorio plans to stay true to those values as he writes laws and engages in the political debate in Sacramento.
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